12 Oct 18:00

Lepa Brena Project

Organised by Kulturishka d.o.o.

Cankarjev dom Lease event Lepa Brena Project

This production is an emotional rollercoaster for me. Through the five incarnations of Lepa Brena, the cast brilliantly captures everything we experienced in this part of Europe, socially, politically and economically, but also on a deeply personal and emotional level. I am honoured that our former country has been reflected through such a remarkable project. I have seen the production in both Belgrade and Zagreb, and I look forward to seeing it in Ljubljana as well.
Lepa Brena

The award-winning production by Belgrade’s Bitef teatar, Lepa Brena Project, explores the phenomenon of Lepa Brena’s popularity, the break-up of former Yugoslavia and the fate of its citizens. All of this is told through the figure of a woman who was, and remains, a symbol of Yugoslavia. Five incarnations of Lepa Brena come together in a single story and message.

One of the roles is performed by Jasna Đuričić, the acclaimed actress who won the European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Quo Vadis, Aida?

With more than 150 performances across Europe since its premiere, the production continues to fill theatres and has firmly established itself as one of the most successful regional theatre productions of recent years.

About the Production

The creators stress that the production is not conceived solely as a biography: through the figure of Lepa Brena, it explores the complexities and contradictions of the past four decades in the region – its social and political transformations, disappointments and hopes, pain and pride, and, ultimately, all of us.

The production is based on monologues written by playwrights Olga Dimitrijević, Slobodan Obradović, Maja Pelević, Tanja Šljivar and Vedrana Klepica. The many faces of Lepa Brena are brilliantly portrayed by actors Jasna Đuričić, Jelena Ilić, Anđela Jovanović, Jovana Belović and Vlada Aleksić.

The central characters explore different facets of Brena – as an entrepreneur, a Yugoslav woman, a sexual being, a builder of socialist society and a singer.

Brena the Entrepreneur reveals the woman behind the entertainment icon, who must also confront personal tragedy. Brena the Yugoslav Woman confronts us with the merciless horrors of war, while Brena the Sexual Being follows a cross-dressing performer who, inspired by the singer’s persona, finds the courage to live their truth. Brena the Builder of Socialist Society reflects on socialism from a contemporary perspective, while Brena the Singer reminds us that music still has the power to bring people together despite ever-deepening divisions.

The award-winning production inspired by the phenomenon of Lepa Brena comes to Ljubljana for its premiere performance!

FROM THE REVIEWS
»A smart production: first-rate political theatre, a bittersweet Balkan cabaret, and an authentic success story of the Balkans’ biggest pop icon, with all the thorns along the way.«

JUTARNJI LIST
"Sensationally talented performers!”

GLORIA HRVATSKA
“If the purpose of theatre is catharsis, then this production achieves exactly that, allowing us to look our memories in the eye and see how naïve it was to believe in the idea of shared dreams.”